Any animal traveling outside Western Washington, and any animal with high exposure to other animals should take heartworm prevention medication. Heartworm is very easy to prevent by simply giving 1 chewable tablet to your dog once-a-month. Heartworm preventive medications are available right here at Mercer Island Veterinary Clinic, and require a doctor’s prescription.
An extra benefit of heartworm preventive medications is that they also prevent intestinal parasite infections like roundworm, hookworm and whipworm, which are quite prevalent here on Mercer Island. Some of these parasites are also transmissible to humans, so it is always a good idea to have your pets regularly dewormed, particularly if there are children in the home.
Please join us in keeping our pets as safe as possible. Have your dogs tested for heartworm once a year, and use heartworm prevention for dogs with a higher risk of infection.
